A MONOGRAPH OF THE liATS OF NORTH AMERICA. 



151 



I^. Y., by G. -T. Green, and the collection of tlie Mn.scniii of Compara- 

 tive Zoolo.yy (iontiiins a specimen (No. alM)]) wliicli was secured in 

 Short Cave, Kentucky. 



J. G. Shute, of Woburu, Mass., observed soon after sunset in Octo- 

 ber a strange object pass him in the air which seemed to fall to the 

 ground not far from where he was standing. Tie found it to be a pair 

 of red bats in coitu. (J. A. Allen, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., 1SG9.) 



From the drawing by M. Duges (PI. xxvii, fig. 1), which was sent by 

 him to Prof. P>aird, it can be inferred that the animal while at rest 

 may bring the interfemoral membrane forward and ui)ward over the 

 abdomen. 1 have elsewhere ventured to suggest tliat the female may 

 insert the head into the pouch in this w^ay formed to assist in the de- 

 livery of her young and to care for them afterwards. In a second draw- 

 ing the snout (see PI. xxvii, fig. 2) is represented as X)rotruding. It is 

 noticeable that the mouth is not wide open and that no teeth are visible. 



The red bat may fly over wide ranges of open water, since a specimen 

 now in the Museum of Comparative Zoology was caught at sea near 

 Cashes Ledge. The disposition for bats to flyover the water has been 

 often noted; they not only collect the dipterous and neuropterous 

 insects which there abound, but when at rest hang from a branch or 

 twig on the edge of a bank with their snouts nearly touching the water. 

 (Merriam.) 



The following table includes measurements of very young individuals 

 with deciduous teeth: 



Head 



Botly 



Koi'earni 



First iiu'tacarpal bono— first digit 



I'lialaiix 



Tibia 



Foot 



728. 

 M. C. Z. 



No number. 

 U. S. N. M. 



14 



25 

 19 



3 



5 

 10 



n 



No number. 

 U.S.N.M. 



15 

 26 



28^ 



3 



6 

 12 



7 



In these three individuals, whose forms are, respectively, 10, 10, and 

 28i, the foot remains essentially unchanged, aud is the same in the 

 smallest specimen as in the adult. In the first of the series the tibia 

 and foot are of the same length. The bone grows rapidly, and is over 

 twice the length of the foot in the adult. The body and the forearm 

 grow in about the same ratio, and change much more rapidly than does 

 the head. 



